You Always Hurt The One You Love
by Lady Dudley
Summary: Season Three AU: Russell pursues a different plan for revenge.


**A/N: This is an AU for Season Three, mostly because I was thinking that surely the most logical way for Russell to get his revenge on Eric would be to go after Pam. Sadly I couldn't think of how to write it all out properly, so this is the aftermath of him taking her and Eric getting her back. His 'punishment' is still the same - i.e. being buried in concrete (only this time Bill didn't feel the need to try and get rid of Eric as well). Anyways, I hope it works and sorry if you feel it's OOC, but just go with me...Hope you enjoy :)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

**You Always Hurt The One You Love**

~*~  
_You always hurt the one you love  
The one you shouldn't hurt at all  
You always take the sweetest rose  
And crush it till the petals fall_

_You always break the kindest heart  
With a hasty word you can't recall, so  
If I broke your heart last night  
It's because I love you most of all_  
-"You Always Hurt The One You Love," The Mills Brothers  
~*~

She was broken and he had no idea how to even _begin_ to fix her.

He had healed her physical injuries with some of his blood, but he could still sense her emotional pain.

At least he _had_ been able to.

Somehow her current state of cold indifference scared him a whole lot more than the agony he had felt from her only moments before. For some reason she was shielding herself from him and he had no idea why.

She remained lying on the couch, curled up in the foetal position and staring blankly at the wall. His own feeling of helplessness at the situation began to morph into an almost blind panic as he tried desperately to think of a way to reach her.

"You came for me," she said quietly, so quietly that without his superior hearing he would have missed it.

"Of course I came for you," he said as though there was no question he would ever do otherwise.

"Why?" she asked, her voice still impossibly quiet.

"Do you really have to ask?" he demanded.

Silenced greeted his outburst and he cursed himself for his harsh tone.

"Yes," she said, breaking the silence before he could.

At her admission he felt anger bubble up inside him and, if he were truly being honest with himself, a deep seated sadness. He took a moment to compose himself before he spoke again.

"I would never abandon you, Pam, you are my life," he assured her.

He felt her carefully constructed control slip a little and a little bolt of pain shot through him, "I thought…he said…and I…" she trailed off as two red drops spilled down her cheeks.

He held his position in near the head of the couch with difficulty and felt her regain control of herself.

"Whatever he said to you, whatever he…did to you," he began before an almost involuntary growl escaped him at the remembrance of her injuries. She flinched, almost imperceptibly at the sound and he quickly composed himself, "It's over, I won't let anyone hurt you, ever again," he swore, speaking through his fangs which still protruded due to his residual anger.

"He said you wouldn't come for me," she said after a moment, her voice a little stronger in light of his promise.

He couldn't take it anymore and he stood up, striding to the other side of the room, desperate to keep his temper in check. "And you…_believed_ him?" he spat out, not trusting himself to look at her.

"How could I not? You were so desperate to save Sookie from him, how was I to know that wouldn't involve sacrificing me?"

He clenched his fists at his sides, spinning on his heel to face her, "I would sacrifice a _thousand_ Sookie Stackhouses if it would keep you safe," he all but shouted at her. "Don't you _dare_ doubt me, Pam, I won't tolerate it. Not from you," he said; his tone gentling slightly as he fought for control over his anger. "You are _mine_," he said through clenched teeth.

Now he finally understood how Russell had managed to break his child. Suddenly the punishment that he and Bill had inflicted on him wasn't enough and he had to fight the impulse to dig him up and kill him with his bare hands.

The sight of Pam, looking so small and helpless on the couch, was the only thing that kept him from following through with his impulse.

He was needed here.

"You are mine," he reiterated in a gentle tone as he knelt beside her. She burst into tears and he began to stroke her hair, letting her get it all out. "I'm sorry you had cause to doubt me, my child, you alone have my heart," he told her as her tears subsided.

"Some would say you don't have a heart," she said with some semblance of her old spark.

He smiled, "Then you'll just have to settle for me then," he told her.

"Ah, the sacrifices you ask me to make," she said with a small smile of her own.

He snorted as he picked her up, bridal style, "You should rest now," he told her.

She snuggled deeper into his arms, "I'm quite comfortable here, thank you," she told him.

"Good," he replied, causing her to look up at him in surprise, "because I have no intention of letting you go."


End file.
